Next of Kin (and relationship): Mary Anne McGowen (Mother)
Date of enlistment: August 13, 1941
City and province of enlistment: Toronto, Ontario
Military Service Record
Age (at death): 25
Force: Royal Air Force
Unit: No. 458 RAAF Squadron
Service Number: J203378
Next of Kin (and relationship): Mary Anne McGowen (Mother)
Date of Death: July 22, 1943
Place of Death: Middle East
Book of Remembrance: Page 134 of the Fifth World War Book of Remembrance
Essay
Gerald was born on August 25, 1917 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. His parents were Mary Anne and Edward Barker. Gerald was the youngest of six, two brothers and three sisters. Gerald attended St. Ignatrus Primary School from attended grades nine and ten at Campion College in Regina Saskatchewan. Gerald finished his high school years at St. Paul’s. In high school, Gerald played rugby, baseball, hockey and basketball. Gerald was very active and also enjoyed photography. In this we see that you can compare Gerald to any other kid at St. Paul's today. Nothing is said about Gerald's grades. I would assume that his grades were above average. Factoring in his older siblings and his father's death, you would think that he would realize how important school is. Afterward we see that Gerald took a clerical business course for two years at Dominion Business College also in Winnipeg. This also would prove that Gerald's grades were a little above average. A kid with lower marks would not be able to go to business school. After school, Gerald immediately got to work as a mechanic and salesman at Canadian Toledo Scale Co. After three years he then switched over to work for The Hudson's Bay Company as a pipe fitter and stope miner. After two years he quit and moved to Kingston, Ontario. There he worked for Industrial acceptance as a collection adjuster. We see that Gerald had a promising future in the working field. Although very promising, it seems as though he wasn't satisfied. Unsatisfied enough to drop everything and enlist in the army a year later. It could have been a number of factors contributing to his enlistment. Lonely could have been one of them. When he moved to Kingston it was by himself. Also he was not married at the time of enlistment. (Attestation Paper)
Gerald enlisted on August 13th, 1941. With an athletic background, college education, and blue collar work experience. It was hard for the military to turn the twenty three year old down for joining. Gerald is put into the air force. He chooses to join the air force as oppose to other units. It says in his enlistment that he is keen on flying. This obviously is a big factor in choosing your placement. Also his passion for photography could have factored in. After then, Gerald was immediately transferred to go through the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. He was then assigned to Squadron 458 of the RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force). Squadron 458 was formed on July 10th 1941. Battle honours for the squadron includes:Fortress Europe, France and Germany, South East Europe, Mediterranean, Sicily, and Italy. The one battle that Gerald for sure fought in was the battle in the Mediterranean. In January 1942 the squadron was reallocated to the middle east where they were to attack enemy shipping in the Mediterranean sea. They operated from airfields in Eygpt, Malta, Libya, Tunisia, Sardinia, Corsica, and Italy. The Squadron reduced the threat by leaving opposing enemies with little amounts of submarines and surface vessels. Squadron 458 had done its job perfectly in the Mediterranean (458 Squadron RAAF). This was the last battle that Gerald fought. in the midst of this mission Gerald's aircraft went missing.During the year of 1942, it appears that Gerald had briefly returned from service. This is known because it is listed on Gerald's registration of death that he is married to a woman named Shirley Helen O'mara. (Official Registration of Death).
Gerald was reported missing in active service while serving overseas in Malta. The date was July 23, 1943. The official file states that Gerald's plane had asked for instructions on what to do, it was acknowledged and the plane was instructed to go back to base. This was the last that was heard from Gerald's plane. The plane was reported missing and shortly after Gerald was presumed dead. Gerald was gone and was taken away from his loved ones. His mother, Mary Barker, his wife, Shirley barker, and his other 5 siblings. His death did not go unnoticed. He was just 25 and had a promising life ahead of him. In the war at the time Hitler ordered reinforcements into Balkan. Just two days after his death Mussolini was killed. Gerald represented every young man in Canada. His death is a reminder of how everyone who died in the war had their own story and struggle. People who died in the war should not be known as a statistic. We have to remember how every single one of these people had a unique story and struggle in their lives. They all had loved ones and many other people were affected by their deaths. The casualty count does not state how many people's lives were affected as a result of the deaths. Gerald's body was not recovered, and he does not have a known grave. He is however honoured in Malta in the Malta Memorial among 285 other names.
Grave Reference
Contains the names of 285 on the Malta Memorial were involved in operations carried out from widely scattered bases during the Second World War. They helped to guard and to keep open certain of the most vital sea routes linking the various countries. "In gaining mastery in the air, the men commemorated here sacrificed themselves."(veterans.gc.ca, Malta Memorial)
This is the house where Gerald spent his years up until high school.
This is a Vickers Wellington, the plane that Gerald flew for his whole military career. (458 Squadron RAAF).
Squadron 458's crest. Their motto was "We Find and Destroy". This is a picture of a brass plaque made in memory of the squadron. It's located at the Shrine of Memories in ANZAC square Brisbane, Australia (458 Squadron RAAF).
Works Cited
Manitobia. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 May 2012. < http://manitobia.ca/cocoon/launch/en/ newspapers >. This site helped me search up Gerald Barker in the newspaper. It helped me find his picture and additional information about him and his family.
"Province of Manitoba: Official Registration of Death." Winnipeg: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Print. I figured out that Gerald was married. This helped me a lot with how he died and when.
"Gerald Louis Barker Service Record." Canada At War. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2012. <http://www.canadaatwar.ca/memorial/world-war-ii/120554/ flying-officer-gerald-louis-barker/>. This site helped with his death details. Also it helped me find out where his grave reference is.
RCAF: Attestation Paper. N.p. Print. The general knowledge about Gerald Barker was obtained from this paper.
"458 Suadron RAAF." Australian War Memorial . N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2012. <http://www.awm.gov.au/units/unit_11159.asp>. This site helped me find out the information about Squadron 458.
Gerald Louis Barker
Flying Officer No. 458 RAAF Squadron
Service Personnel Information
Military Service Record
Essay
Gerald was born on August 25, 1917 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. His parents were Mary Anne and Edward Barker. Gerald was the youngest of six, two brothers and three sisters. Gerald attended St. Ignatrus Primary School from attended grades nine and ten at Campion College in Regina Saskatchewan. Gerald finished his high school years at St. Paul’s. In high school, Gerald played rugby, baseball, hockey and basketball. Gerald was very active and also enjoyed photography. In this we see that you can compare Gerald to any other kid at St. Paul's today. Nothing is said about Gerald's grades. I would assume that his grades were above average. Factoring in his older siblings and his father's death, you would think that he would realize how important school is. Afterward we see that Gerald took a clerical business course for two years at Dominion Business College also in Winnipeg. This also would prove that Gerald's grades were a little above average. A kid with lower marks would not be able to go to business school. After school, Gerald immediately got to work as a mechanic and salesman at Canadian Toledo Scale Co. After three years he then switched over to work for The Hudson's Bay Company as a pipe fitter and stope miner. After two years he quit and moved to Kingston, Ontario. There he worked for Industrial acceptance as a collection adjuster. We see that Gerald had a promising future in the working field. Although very promising, it seems as though he wasn't satisfied. Unsatisfied enough to drop everything and enlist in the army a year later. It could have been a number of factors contributing to his enlistment. Lonely could have been one of them. When he moved to Kingston it was by himself. Also he was not married at the time of enlistment. (Attestation Paper)Gerald enlisted on August 13th, 1941. With an athletic background, college education, and blue collar work experience. It was hard for the military to turn the twenty three year old down for joining. Gerald is put into the air force. He chooses to join the air force as oppose to other units. It says in his enlistment that he is keen on flying. This obviously is a big factor in choosing your placement. Also his passion for photography could have factored in. After then, Gerald was immediately transferred to go through the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. He was then assigned to Squadron 458 of the RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force). Squadron 458 was formed on July 10th 1941. Battle honours for the squadron includes: Fortress Europe, France and Germany, South East Europe, Mediterranean, Sicily, and Italy. The one battle that Gerald for sure fought in was the battle in the Mediterranean. In January 1942 the squadron was reallocated to the middle east where they were to attack enemy shipping in the Mediterranean sea. They operated from airfields in Eygpt, Malta, Libya, Tunisia, Sardinia, Corsica, and Italy. The Squadron reduced the threat by leaving opposing enemies with little amounts of submarines and surface vessels. Squadron 458 had done its job perfectly in the Mediterranean (458 Squadron RAAF). This was the last battle that Gerald fought. in the midst of this mission Gerald's aircraft went missing. During the year of 1942, it appears that Gerald had briefly returned from service. This is known because it is listed on Gerald's registration of death that he is married to a woman named Shirley Helen O'mara. (Official Registration of Death).
Gerald was reported missing in active service while serving overseas in Malta. The date was July 23, 1943. The official file states that Gerald's plane had asked for instructions on what to do, it was acknowledged and the plane was instructed to go back to base. This was the last that was heard from Gerald's plane. The plane was reported missing and shortly after Gerald was presumed dead. Gerald was gone and was taken away from his loved ones. His mother, Mary Barker, his wife, Shirley barker, and his other 5 siblings. His death did not go unnoticed. He was just 25 and had a promising life ahead of him. In the war at the time Hitler ordered reinforcements into Balkan. Just two days after his death Mussolini was killed. Gerald represented every young man in Canada. His death is a reminder of how everyone who died in the war had their own story and struggle. People who died in the war should not be known as a statistic. We have to remember how every single one of these people had a unique story and struggle in their lives. They all had loved ones and many other people were affected by their deaths. The casualty count does not state how many people's lives were affected as a result of the deaths. Gerald's body was not recovered, and he does not have a known grave. He is however honoured in Malta in the Malta Memorial among 285 other names.
Grave Reference
Contains the names of 285 on the Malta Memorial were involved in operations carried out from widely scattered bases during the Second World War. They helped to guard and to keep open certain of the most vital sea routes linking the various countries. "In gaining mastery in the air, the men commemorated here sacrificed themselves."(veterans.gc.ca, Malta Memorial)Additional Information
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This is the house where Gerald spent his years up until high school.
Works Cited
Manitobia. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 May 2012. < http://manitobia.ca/cocoon/launch/en/newspapers >. This site helped me search up Gerald Barker in the
newspaper. It helped me find his picture and additional information about
him and his family.
"Book Of Remembrance." Veterans. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 May 2012. < http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/collections/books/listing >. This
site provided the page in which Gerald is honoured in the book of
remembrance.
"Province of Manitoba: Official Registration of Death." Winnipeg: n.p., n.d. N.
pag. Print. I figured out that Gerald was married. This helped me a lot with how he died and when.
"Gerald Louis Barker Service Record." Canada At War. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May
2012. <http://www.canadaatwar.ca/memorial/world-war-ii/120554/
flying-officer-gerald-louis-barker/>. This site helped with his death
details. Also it helped me find out where his grave reference is.
RCAF: Attestation Paper. N.p. Print. The general knowledge about Gerald Barker was obtained from this paper.
"458 Suadron RAAF." Australian War Memorial . N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2012.
<http://www.awm.gov.au/units/unit_11159.asp>. This site helped me
find out the information about Squadron 458.
"Malta Memorial." Veteran's Affairs Canada. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2012. <http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/memorials/ww2mem/malta>. This site provided information on Malta Memorial where Gerald is honoured.